I enjoyed this post, Bridget! Lovely pictures and insightful remarks. You're "in" permanently now! Your fans will be waiting for more Bridget posts!

Jill Farris

Yowsa! Great advice and wisdom, Leila! And, your "be warm" is so important. I would add, if you have a child for whom you feel little warmth...pray for it!

Blessings!

Jill Farris

"a bridesmaid's dress from Walmart"....oh, you made me laugh with your descriptions and your "before and after" of the Hydrangea (snort).

Thanks for helping me breathe deep today in my home. I am ALL ALONE and loving it and realizing that even older moms with teens and adult children need to discipline themselves to stay home and putter!

Btw, Leila. I just spent a week with my husband in NYC and, as we were sitting in The View lounge (overlooking TImes Square), I thought of you. I asked him, "How far is Massachusetts from here?" (since, after all, all your little Eastern states are so squashed together...unlike Washington state!). You are really the only person I have any desire to visit with on the East Coast but, ultimately, we decided it would be a bit too stalker-ish to drop in on you.

Jill Farris

My daughter Hannah (19) is speaking at our Central Washington 40 Days for Life. I am proud of her.

Hang in there with the long hours of hubby away. It Is HARD. Acknowledging that is is difficult isn't complaining...harping about it continually is complaining! I think in this day and age of two working spouses, many couples are so distant from each other that they don't really think it's a big deal. I'm glad when I hear couples who miss each other! It's a good thing. You need him and he needs to know it even while you hold down the fort and try not to complain! Enjoy that vacation!

What a beautiful, perfect little baby girl and she has been given such a nice, feminine name! Congratulations to all!

Jill Farris www.generationalwomanhood.wordpress.com www.jillcampbellfarris.com

Thanks for mentioning dePaola and his beautiful books for young children! I do so love Peter Spier and will look for Jonah.

Jill

I got tears in my eyes reading this, Leila. Thank you. You said a lot of things that even Christian financial gurus miss. Perhaps they miss them because they are men?

This post made me feel better about our life (now in the third decade of marriage) and our untidy, imperfect financial situation. You made me realize (and remember) the deeper lessons we have learned through sharing our finances.

Jill Farris

Wonderful! Congratulations! I love it when married couples are open to the joy of parenthood right from the start. It is such a natural and wonderful way to begin married life together; with the blessing of a baby! Love the love story!

Jill Farris www.generationalwomanhood.wordpress.com

My goodness, I get tears in my eyes reading your beautiful, wise words about teaching and raising up literate children! Yes, indeed, I cried over this post.

You were able to articulate what I did somewhat spasmodically and unintentionally with my older children (the younger ones are still in process and we are battling the effects of too many computers in the home).

I raised the eldest children in a language-rich environment and now I deeply enjoy reading the wonderful writing of our eldest son who didn't read until he was 13 (!!). His brain was so crammed full of wonderful words for 13 years that when he finally did start writing, it was mature and colorful and insightful! You can read an example of his current adventures in Korea (where he is teaching English) in this post where he writes about learning how to make Kimchi with Korean grandmothers http://dryflynoodles.com/2012/12/17/tasting-histo....

Loyal readers of Leila...take careful note! This woman knows what she is talking about! I know is FEELS better to have your kids fill in page after page of workbooks and to laboriously teach grammar rules to a young child but Auntie Leila knows! Read, read, read, good books to your children! Be expressive in your speech...get off your vidiot screens and TALK to your children. Let them talk to you! When they express themselves creatively exclaim over it! Enjoy words! Encourage writing!

Let's raise a generation of articulate, moral, Christian young people who will change the culture!

Jill Farris www.generationalwomanhood.wordpress.com

You're right, Leila, there is something about trying to turn such efforts into a planned project which drains the motivation out of the children. Other homeschooling moms ask me how I get my kids to be motivated and my reply is always a lame, "Uh...I get kinda busy keeping them fed and clothed and we limit computer usage and, uh, read a lot...."

I often can't show you tidy little preplanned lessons and I am, most definitely, not industriously planning and teaching throughout the day but good books ignite the kids imaginations and (eventually) fruitful and imaginative learning pours out of my offspring.

This experience (repeated for almost 25 years) has convinced me that education is lighting a fire...not filling a cup. There is a difference!

Jill Farris www.generationalwomanhood.wordpress.com